Taken from  More Morsels of Mong. It's Mong and it's international.

Mongo Shakers - The International Mong

Bonkers dub prog with added Scooby Doo. Taken from Great Moments of Mong c.1994

Mongo Shakers- Do You Remember?

The opener to "This is Four" featuring various voices, including Michael Aspel, James Earl Jones, a vintage Capital Radio jingle and a chuckling Chris Grayson. Musical guests include the Brothers Johnson, Stereophonics, Roger Powell, the RAH Band and Renaissance.

This is Four

Hello (Alphabet Intro)

Brisk, fun and funky, featuring the inimitable voices from the 2013 LAMC Auctioneer Championships including the wonderfully named Ryan Hurlburt . Musical guests include Funkadelic, Outernational Meltdown, Zillatron, The Mamas and The Papas and Opolopo. Wild and widdly synth solo by the inscrutable Gabriel Keen. Drums originally from the Bhangra Dad session with Chris Grayson and Will Tubby in 2013.

Guys, Here We Go!

This song our beloved “Prune-faced Ginge” riff. It features a wonderful voice from a young boy singing “Mohabbat Barsa dena Tu” a big hit in India in 2014. It’s one of the last things Chris Grayson and I recorded together before he sadly died. Chris plays riff guitar and fuzz bass. Will Tubby added the bass groove, Richard Ferguson overdubbed the wonderful guitar including the delightful Holdsworth-esque solo. Listen carefully and you’ll also hear traces of Luke Kelly’s chiming guitar too.

Give Me Tall Friends

Vintage Mongo in every way, written by Chris Grayson and I back in 2005. It’s a dark, brooding and inward looking song, initiated by the piano from Kiki Dee’s “Amouresue”. Jenny Agutter’s voice was soon added because it’s so lovely.  From there, it became a tribute to “Logan’s Run”, the 1976 sci-fi movie in which she starred. Will Tubby supplied bass in his dub wise style and the sinister guitar is by Jamie Kirby, from the Divided and other rock legends.

Logan's Run

Probably the oldest song of this collection: written with Gabriel Keen who plays electric piano and his brother Alex on acoustic bass. It’s at least 15 years old and has had many different incarnations over the years. It even formed the basis of Paul Shearsmith’s Iraq Attack (bit.ly/2yq7iTi) It features two wonderful guitar solos: the first by Dave Draper, improv guitar wizard (bit.ly/2wOo6SS) and the mighty Grahame Painting (of Family Fodder and other musical adventures) in the coda. The voice is that of Alan Godfrey, a retired police constable of the West Yorkshire Police.

UFOs Over Todmorden

A very personal lament for all the things we knew and didn’t say loud enough or maybe weren’t heard. I wrote it long before my musical compadre, the late Chris Grayson (RIP)was ill and maybe it was a portent of things to come. The mournful trumpet is from Tomasz Stanko, whilst Richard Ferguson added the delicate guitar behind the harpsichord. Deep in every sense.

But You Knew That Already

Deeply felt, meditative and softly spoken instrumental built upon Will Tubby’s lyrical bassline. Crafted and grafted together over many hours on my laptop with musical guests including Peter Gabriel, Bill Frisell, Bugge Wesseltoft, Jazzanova, Sidsel Endreson and a little sprinkling of Dawda Jobarteh and Toumani Diabate. Live drums are from a Mongo Shakers jam entitled Maybe the Next Time. Ringing guitars and epic solo by Richard Ferguson, who is on fire here.

Harm One, Harm All

The first song recorded after Mongo Three, featuring a wicked bassline from Will Tubby and whip cracking rhythm guitar from Luke Kelly. A kind of blaxploitation homage featuring vocals  from Cresa Watson  and a couple of Trouble Man riffs, plus a bit of Wah Wah Watson; he had to turn up somewhere. Sweet jazz guitar soloing from Richard Ferguson.

Dead (I Wish I Was)

A melancholy synth bass driven ballad featuring the voice of Sam Cooke, keyboards from Goldfrapp and a soupçon of rhythm guitar from Lettuce. Mellifluous synth solo by the enigmatic Nervous Rex. Chris Grayson closely recorded my drums at De MonkV studio in Shoreditch back in 2013. It was originally entitled Slo Loris for no particular reason.

Just Another Day

Pumping funk/rock stomper pieced together from a jam with Chris Grayson and Will Tubby and overlaid with lovely synth bass from mid 80s funk classic “The Sound of Music”. Vocals are from Art Williams, a popular corporate speaker or should that be preacher.  Other musical guests include Phil Collins and Philip Bailey, and a peep of Chaka Khan too. Additional guitar mischief from the quietly brilliant Richard Ferguson.

My Butt's Always Burning

Originally started out as a short interlude but it took on a life of its own. Featuring the singular guitar effects, riffs and phrases of Chris Grayson (RIP). Opens with Chris and I (with a mouth full of crisps) chatting in the studio. Musical guests include Nazareth (the chugging riff is from their brilliant version of Joni’s “This Flight Tonight”), plus JJ Cale and the voice from the Denim aftershave TV ad circa 1979. Studio chat at the end is Chris and Den de Leon.

This Is Four

Fruity funk/reggae groove built round a wobbling Will Tubby bassline recorded in DeMonk V with layers of rhythm guitar by Luke Kelly. I added in some additional bits of Chris’s wah-wah guitar and a couple of vocal interjections from Eek a Mouse, as you do. Main vocals are courtesy of the late, great Ronnie James Dio, of course. Nabbed from the acapella version of Holy Diver on You Tube. Check the full original video too for some sword wielding metal mayhem. “Look Out!”

Dio's Dub Diver

Funk, rock, trip hop and prog studio-based outfit. Originally based in Shoreditch. Started making music together 30 years ago. Combining live musical chops, sample-based trickery and studio wizardry. Music to make you laugh and cry.

Mongo Shakers

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